Football Manager 2018 will have 4 confirmed new player roles. In this article we will be taking a deeper look at these new roles and give you some examples of suitable players for these new roles.

SEGUNDO VOLANTE The Segundo Volante is a new player role that can only be used on the defensive midfielder position. He can be assigend all three duties; defensive, support and attacking.

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION The ‘Segundo Volante’ is different from the Deep-Lying Playmaker. Their role is primarily a defensive one best suited to being paired with an Anchor Man. He is also different from the Ball-Winning Midfielder, in that they often run with the ball, or arrive with a late run, into the opposition area in much the same way a Box-to-Box Central Midfielder does.

As the term ‘Segundo’ suggests, the Segundo Volante isn’t a player role that can be used for a lone defensive midfielder. He will be on his best paired up with a ‘Primero Volante’, prefferably an Anchor Man. The AM sits in front of defense and closes the gaps the Segundo could leave. The Segundo Volante is a more attacking-minded player than the defensive midfielder and will be joining the attack when possible. A player that often plays in a role like this is Manchester City midfielder Fernandinho.

MEZZALA The second new player role we will be discussing is the Mezzala. This player role can only be assigned to a player on the MC position. And he could be assigned a Support or an Attacking duty.

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION Similar to a Box-to-Box Midfielder but with less defensive responsibility. The Mezzala gets into attacking positions that an Inside Forward would usually be found in.

If we look at the official description given by Sports Interactive, we can conclude that the Mezzala will be an attacking minded central midfielder, that moves towards the flanks. Instead of keeping in the middle, the Mezzala will be moving towards the sides of the pitch trying to find space. The perfect example of a player in this player role would be Andres Iniesta. The Spanish midfielder always plays on a three-man midfield, but is always on the move finding free space on either sides of the pitch, trying to make the play and tries combinations with the wide midfielders.

CARRILERO The third new player role is also a new midfield role. The Carrilero role can be assigned to a player on the MC position and can be assigned a Support duty.

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION The Carrilero – or ‘Shuttler’ – is a supporting role more often than not utilised as part of a midfield three, or as two central midfielders in a diamond midfield. It is the job of these shuttlers to cover lateral areas of the pitch and link the defensive area with the attacking midfield area. This is what separates the Carrileros from a Box-to-Box Midfielder. They are not expected to shuttle between boxes, but merely between lines of the midfield.

So, basically the Carrilero would be the player that closes gaps that other players leave open. He will be operating in the area between your midfield and attack, but not as attacking as a Box-to-Box midfielder or as defensive as a Ball-winning midfielder. The players you will be selecting for this role must have quite some stamina and strength. If we translate this new player role to a real life player we can’t look passed N’Golo Kante. The French Chelsea midfielder is probably the best example of a player that serves the team by closing space and moving around to play the ball.

INVERTED WINGER The fourth and final new player role in FM18 is the Inverted Winger. This role can be given to a player who plays on either the ML or the MR role. The duties you will be able to assign are Support or Attacking.

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION The Inverted Winger aims to frequently cut inside into the attacking third to open up space for overlapping full-backs and to subsequently overload retreating defenders. The Inverted Winger works best when the player’s strongest foot is opposite to the side of the pitch he’s playing on. With a Support Duty, the Inverted Winger will cut diagonally across the defence to play the ball through the middle while overloading defenders and defensive midfielders ahead of the penalty area.

The inverted winger is similar to the Inside Forward, but can only play on the ML or MR position. The main difference between the two is their movement. The Inside Forward will move towards the box and will pair up with your striker(s). The Inverted Winger will be moving towards the same area as an AMC would play. From that area he could be looking for a through pass or a long-shot. And as he moves inside, he will be giving your wide defenders the space to overlap. It seems quite clear that the Inverted Winger will be on his best in a formation with attacking full-backs.A player that comes in mind for this role could be Borussia Dortmunds’ Christian Pulisic. The young American is a gifted technical player that loves to play on the wing. He misses speed and lacks the skill to finish, but he shows amazing passing and technique. He would be the ideal player to have as an Inverted Winger and not as an Inside Forward.

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